THE CROSSING






    Does this apprenticeship make him nervous or irritable ?  Does the stress affect his health ?  Whatever, before the notary Moreau, on the 27th of March 1656, Pierre Micheau, just as 20 other men, hired himself to Jacques Pépin, a ships' factor and merchant of La Rochelle to go to work in Quebec for 3 years.  His salary would be 36 livres (pounds) per year, with an immediate advance of 38 livres and 5 sols.  He is 18 or 19 years old.  This Jacques Pépin calls upon the services of the notary Moreau who specializes in the commercial acts.  Since 1655, the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France had allowed several large merchants rochelais to arm with the ships on their account for Quebec.  They transport there food, goods and passengers.  It is even an obligation for them to take on board hired men.
 



 
 




    During following weeks, the settlers thus embark in La Rochelle, port located at 49 kilometers of Fontenay, on the ship La Fortune.  Owned by M. Auboyneau, this three-mast ship is a 100 tons burden.  During this crossing of 1656, the master on board was M. Edouard Raymond.  In addition to Jacques Pépin, P. Thévenin was also ship-owner.  A distance of 1 200 lieues separated the port of La Rochelle from that of Quebec.  On the way there, the sailing ship could cross in approximately nine weeks;  on the return trip, the west  winds made it possible to cross the Atlantic in  only five weeks.
 



 

The crossing of our ancestor Pierre Micheau was crowned with success but one can imagine the anguishes which tormented him : winds, storms, ices, instruments lacking in precision, hackers.  Everything leads to believe that he catches sight of Quebec city before the end of the springtime of 1656.
 
 

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